Space Shuttle Astronaut Discusses Space Flight, Research at Two Public Lectures

November 05, 2015

Former NASA payload specialist and space shuttle crew member Dr. Lawrence DeLucas will be on campus Nov. 18 and 19 to give two lectures on “Space Flight and Research on the International Space Station.”

Wednesday, Nov. 18 DeLucas will address a general audience at 6 p.m. in E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium, Hawkins Hall. On Thursday, Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. in the Cardinal Lounge, Angell College Center, he will address an audience primarily made up of veterans and active military personnel.

DeLucas, who manned the space shuttle Columbia’s mission STS-50, spent 14 days in space during the summer of 1992 — the longest space shuttle mission at that time. During the flight, he performed 31 different science and medical experiments while orbiting Earth 221 times at 17,500 mph.

From 1994 to 1995, he served as NASA’s chief scientist for the international space station and is now a professor and director of the Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

DeLucas will discuss his personal experiences as an astronaut as well as some of the past benefits and future opportunities for the space program. After both programs, which will also include video and images from his space experiences, DeLucas will open the floor to questions. Light refreshments will be served at the Nov. 19 presentation. Both programs are free and open to the public.